Covid-19 in the spanish press. Framing alarm and reassurance on the front pages of El País, El Mundo and La Vanguardia

Abstract

An analysis of the news included on the front page of the three most read media in Spain (El país, El mundo and La vanguardia) during the state of alarm and the COVID-19 confinement situation in the months of March and April 2020 is presented. The main objective of the study is to analyze whether the aforementioned media have conveyed the news events through seemingly unjustified messages of alarm or reassurance. The introduction analyses the role of conventional media, digital media and social networks in periods of pandemic, as well as framing in the coverage of the crisis. A total of 1,154 front page stories have been reviewed and 402 elements (belonging to 162 shared news events and another 35 not shared news events) have been identified for analysis. These constitute the sample for this study. The analysis tool is based on already validated framing measurement tools used in numerous leading articles. The results show that the treatment of information in terms of alarm and reassurance is not so much based on the objectivity of the news events reported or on health reasons, but rather on political interests in favour of or against the government or other interests. It is concluded that, given the importance of the media during pandemics both in the creation of perceived reality and in the assessment of its seriousness, media managers should be aware of the social responsibility and educational function of communication. In order to achieve truthful and public service information, the economic independence of the media and the training of its professionals in media education are considered necessary.